Life
Deep Burgundy
‘There lies the dearest freshness deep down things’ — and also the dearest Frenchness. It is easy to be rude…
Due diligence
No doubt you, too, have had the feeling, upon glancing at an article in a paper picked up in a…
Battle for Britain
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Magnus toppled
Last week, world champion Magnus Carlsen suffered a devastating defeat in the first round of the Stavanger super tournament when…
No. 369
White to play. This is from Anand–Hammer, Stavanger 2015. White is a pawn up with a good position and his…
Court report
In Competition No. 2904 you were invited to take as your first line ‘There’s a breathless hush on the centre…
Your problems solved
Q. The problem encountered by R.B. of Fareham (6 June) is similar to one I wish to avoid. I have…
Deep Burgundy
‘There lies the dearest freshness deep down things’ — and also the dearest Frenchness. It is easy to be rude…
High life
Tempus sure fugit, and how. Twenty years ago, on Saturday 1 July 1995, monarchs from around the world descended on…
Long life
The Eurostar train descended gently into the Channel Tunnel, went halfway along it, and then stopped. There it remained for…
Long life
The Eurostar train descended gently into the Channel Tunnel, went halfway along it, and then stopped. There it remained for…
Low life
Rachel Johnson, in last week’s Spectator diary, says that her husband says she only writes a book in order to…
Low life
Rachel Johnson, in last week’s Spectator diary, says that her husband says she only writes a book in order to…
Due diligence
No doubt you, too, have had the feeling, upon glancing at an article in a paper picked up in a…
Real life
This much I know, I never want to live in an ‘executive home’, and neither do I want to live…
Giving up alcohol is not as much fun as I’d hoped
Two months ago, I set myself the target of losing 11 pounds in time for the Spectator’s summer party on…
Giving up alcohol is not as much fun as I’d hoped
Two months ago, I set myself the target of losing 11 pounds in time for the Spectator’s summer party on…
Just giving
Seven years ago I wrote here about a site called Kiva.org. I had met the co-founder of this charity when…
High life
Last Wednesday, 24 June, Pugs held a luncheon in honour of our first member to depart for the Elysian Fields,…
Low life
Ninety-two readers (thank you!) sent accounts of their worst debacles on drink or drugs. I printed out each one and…
Real life
Why won’t the middle classes shout at their dogs any more? My suspicion is that the bleeding heart liberals, having…
Long life
It is nearly two years since the police were granted new powers to fine motorists for ‘hogging’ the middle lane…
Simply the best
Nothing pleases the Royal Ascot crowd more than a winner for the meeting’s crucial supporter, the Queen. Imagine, then, the…
Bridge
A feast of bridge is looming! Tromso in Norway is host to the Open European Championships starting on Saturday, and…
Tempus fugit
In serious competitive chess the play is regulated by time limits for completion of the moves. In the mid-19th century,…
